Crispy baked chicken tenders
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As crispy as their fried equivalents, these crispy baked chicken tenders are set to be the trend at home that all family members would love to enjoy!
Crispy baked chicken tenders are your new life savior when it comes to dinner moving forward! If you have been always refusing or refraining to say, from serving chicken tenders at home for the sake of the grease, then your problem is now solved. We, as mothers, are always keen on serving the best healthy recipes to our kids, while kids are always on the go for nuggets, burgers, and tenders … Frankly, I can feel them. After all, they can see their friends grabbing a takeaway meal with their parents from those restaurant chains, and enjoying a delicious meal topped with mayo, ketchup, and fries… However, why do we have to keep saying no to our kids, when there is an option to say yes, under one condition: preparing these meals at home!
Through these lines, I am sharing 2 healthy recipes of crispy baked chicken tenders: a regular version and a lighter version. Once prepared, the outcome will be a win-win for everyone. Consequently, everyone will be satisfied to have delicious, crispy chicken tenders, while moms will be happy to serve a healthy meal to the whole family. In addition, tap this meal with homemade ketchup and eggless mayo, and thank me later for the peace of mind!
What makes these crispy baked chicken tenders juicy and crispy?
Two secret ingredients: buttermilk and cornstarch. However, bear in mind that these ingredients will not make tenders only crispy, but they will contribute to keeping them juicy as well.
If you are worried about finding buttermilk, I am listing below for you an easy and quick way to prepare your buttermilk at home with ingredients that you have in your household.
But do not worry. If you want to go lighter, my other version of the recipe will get you almost the same result with fewer calories. All you need to do is to replace the cornstarch and buttermilk with olive oil, lemon juice, and some seasonings.
How to prepare buttermilk?
First, bring 1 cup of milk. Secondly, add 2 tbsp. of lemon juice or vinegar. Wait for 5 minutes until some curdles form. Now, your buttermilk is ready!
How do you serve chicken tenders?
I am sure kids will immediately call for fries. But why not, especially if you have your homemade ketchup ready. Alternatively, serve it with smashed crispy potatoes, some vegetable fingers with French onion dip, lemon mayo sauce prepared with healthy homemade eggless mayo, etc. the list goes on and on.
How to prepare these crispy baked chicken tenders?
The beauty of this recipe is that it is so rewarding. Not only you will end up serving crispy baked chicken tenders that all your family members will love, but it is as well a time saver as it can be prepared in a very short period.
For the regular recipe, first, you will cut the chicken across the grain and add cornstarch, our first secret ingredient that will preserve the juices in the chicken. Second, you will toss to coat the chicken with the marinade including our second secret ingredient, buttermilk. Keep the chicken in the fridge between 20 to 50 minutes, not more. Then, comes the role of coating the chicken with breadcrumbs. Finally, your chicken tenders are ready to enter the oven or the air-fryer. How simple is that?
For a lighter option, mix the olive oil, lemon juice, chicken seasonings, salt, and garlic. Then toss to coat the chicken. In the meantime, add olive oil to the breadcrumbs and bake for 5 minutes. Then cover the chicken tenders with the breadcrumbs and bake them.
Baked or air-fried?
Up to you. This main recipe is well developed to suit both. For the best results, freeze the chicken tenders before cooking time.
If you are following the regular recipe, to use the air-frying technique, spray the tenders with cooking spray, fry for 8 minutes, flip the tenders, and spray again with cooking spray and fry until golden brown.
For baking, preheat the oven to 120C and bake for 10 minutes in a non-sticking tray. If you are following the regular recipe, then spray the tenders with cooking spray from all sides at this stage.
Next, increase the heat to 150 and bake until golden brown.
**Once fried or baked, keep the chicken on low heat in the oven. The low heat will allow them to remain juicy
Do you like chicken-based recipes? Check out these healthy suggestions:
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As crispy as their fried equivalents, these crispy baked chicken tenders are set to be the trend at home that all family members will enjoy!
Ingredients
Regular version
2 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless
Marinade
- 1 cup milk
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp sugar
- 2 tsp cornstarch
- 1/4 tsp pepper
Coating
- 1cup regular breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp onion powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Lighter version:
2 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless
Marinade
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp chicken seasoning or any seasoning of your choice
- 2 minced garlic cloves
Coating
- 1 cup of regular breadcrumbs
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp parmesan (optional)
- 1 tsp dried oregano (optional)
Instructions
Regular version
- Prepare the buttermilk
- Cut the chicken across the grain.
- Toss the chicken to coat with cornstarch for 15 minutes.
- Combine the buttermilk, sugar, and chicken seasoning in a zip lock bag.
- Add the chicken and gently shake to ensure all chicken tenders are well coated.
- Close the bag and transfer it to the fridge. Let marinade between 20 to 50 minutes.
- Remove the chicken tenders and start coating them in breadcrumbs.
- Place some breadcrumbs on top of the chicken and press them down to well coat the tenders.
- To bake the chicken, preheat the oven to 120C. Start baking the chicken on low heat for 10 minutes in a non-sticking tray. Increase the heat to 150 degrees, spray the chicken tenders from all sides with cooking spray and continue baking until golden brown.
- For air-frying, spray the tenders with cooking spray. Then start frying them for 8 minutes. Flip the tenders and spray them again with cooking spray. Fry the chicken tenders until golden brown.
Lighter version
- Cut the chicken across the grain.
- Combine the ingredients of the marinade.
- Toss the chicken tenders well to ensure they are well coated.
- Combine the coating ingredients in a baking tray
- Bake for 5 minutes until the breadcrumbs become slightly gold
- Start coating the chicken tenders in breadcrumbs.
- Place some breadcrumbs on top of the chicken and press them down to well coat the tenders.
- To bake the chicken, preheat the oven to 120C. Start baking the chicken on low heat for 10 minutes in a non-sticking tray. Increase the heat to 150 degrees, and continue baking until golden brown.
Notes
- This recipe allows you to freeze the chicken tenders whether cooked or uncooked. All you need to do is to freeze them in a tray with a baking sheet for 2 to 3 hours. Transfer the tenders then to a zip lock freezer bag.
- In order to cut the chicken in the right way, cut them against the grain lines in the chicken breast.
- Always cook the chicken on low heat in the oven. The low heat will allow them to remain juicy.
Nutrition
Regular recipe:
Calories: 479 kcal per serving | Serving size: 1/2 chicken breast | Number of servings: 64
Total Fat 23 g | Saturated Fat 3 g | Cholesterol 80 mg | Sodium 1064 mg | Potassium 132 mg | Total Carbohydrate 34 g | Dietary Fiber 1 g | Sugars 4 g | Protein 31 g | Vitamin A: 3% | Vitamin C: 6% | Calcium: 11% | Iron: 0%
Lighter recipe:
Calories: 397 kcal per serving | Serving size: 1/2 chicken breast | Number of servings: 4
Total Fat 19 g | Saturated Fat 3 g | Cholesterol 96 mg | Sodium 1065 mg | Potassium 297 mg | Total Carbohydrate 17 g | Dietary Fiber 0 g | Sugars 0 g | Protein 38 g | Vitamin A: 0% | Vitamin C: 0% | Calcium: 4% | Iron: 6%
* The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet
